Demon Slayer: New Blood (SYOC)
by Insane Boi
Summary: (SYOC Open) Demons are rising up all over the place, and things are getting worse. In order to fight them, a new generation of Demon Slayers will be needed to cut them down and save lives. This will be their story.
1. Chapter 1

Feudal Japan. A time of isolation, conflict, mystery, and other things.

Tonight was seemingly a normal and ordinary peaceful night to most...but to some...

"Man! I really, really, really love humans" the disgusting and vile creature, the demon, announced as he grabbed a nearby young girl from a group of travelers who had foolishly decided to move around at night, likely smugglers of some kind. "The noises they make when they die, the nutrients I get from eating them, the pained expressions they make! I love all of it!"

He was spouting such nonesense after killing one of their guards in the blink of an eye, and was now preparing to eat a young girl. The group's moral had already plummeted, but this would be the icing on the cake. It was terrible...it was atrocious...it was...

"...loud...why is it so loud out here?" a young boy who appeared to be about ten years old asked as he stepped out of the carriage sleepily. He seemed to be wearing average travelers clothes, but for some reason had a cat's collar around his neck with a bell on the front. The demon could not help but notice that this boy was not doing any of the things he loved about humans, and so decided to correct that. He lunged his other arm at the boy, but missed as the boy tripped and fell towards the ground...and then, his arm was cut off on the spot in a fast motion.

"What?!" the demon shouted, as the boy revealed two blades he was carrying. They were shorter then normal blades, but there was no mistaking it...they were the blades of a Demon Slayer. "IMpossible...a Demon Slayer?"

However, when he looked at his other arm, it was already severed, and the girl was freed. The demon was surprised by this though, because he had an acute sense of smell. And yet...

_I can't smell this boy...its why I missed him in the carriage. This boy's smell...its been erased...no...its coated by wisteria!_

As the Demon figured it out, the boy took a breath.

"Neko Breathing Technique First Claw: Lunging Cat!"

And then, he burst straight forward while his blades were crossed, and then swung them outwards as they reached the demon's neck, therefore removing it from the body, and causing the demon to start to disintegrate.

"Damnit! Damnit damnit! This brat is so frusterating! How could you?! How could you kill me like this?!"

"Its okay" the boy spoke, his voice rather androgynous. "You will be at peace now".

And yet, despite his words, the demon could see a fury in his eyes. A kindness, but also a fury.

_Ahhh...that kid is totally a psycho...I should be glad he made it quick, otherwise he totally might have tortured me for information._

That was the demon's very warped thoughts on the matter, assuming things about the boy.

The boy then looked at the night sky, and only had this to say. "Time to go back to sleep".

As an explanation, the Neko Breathing Style of Swordmanship involves having two blades, one for each hand, to signify the paws of a cat with their claws. It specializes in maintaining one's balance, the art of deception, and agility, among other things. It was made by a Demon Slayer who was a major cat enthusiast, and understood the art of deception. And at the moment, the one heading towards the final selection was one of the users of that style: Yukari Yuu.

And even though this was only a low ranked demon, he still did this on his way to the Final Selection.

"Woah...that was awesome...wait, a kid as young as you are in the Demon Slayers?"

"As young as...I might look young, but im actually thirteen" he said, giving everyone a shock.

_Its all thanks to that Demon's Curse...I swear, I gotta get rid of him sooner rather then later. Otherwise, things are going to get really weird and inconvienent._

ANd so, he decided to head back into the carriage, and get some rest.

* * *

Welcome to another SYOC idea I had! Sorry for disappearing, but I had college stuff I had to take care of. And then I got this idea from watching the anime which was amazing, and then going and reading the manga since I had to know more.

SO here are some rules and things to know.

Submissions can either be PM or review, but if its in a review you must post in on the first chapter only, and if its PM, you must title it "Demon Slayer - CharacterName - Breath Style/Demon Blood Technique - Age".

Its feudal Japan, so remember that no foreigners will be accepted. Additionally, remember that Japanese people tend to be shorter then caucasian people, so no towering heights or other unfitting traits (but ill be okay with a wide assortment of hair and eye color past the norm for artistic reasons).

I will only be accepting three other main Demon Hunter characters. The rest that are accepted though will be introduced as recurring characters. Dont get too down about that though, because Pillars are recurring characters which means your character could be a badass. I will also be accepting submitted Demons. The quality of the submission will determine if its a one time enemy, a recurring enemy, and the rank of the enemy. Of course, if you make a good demon with a good reason and backstory behind it, it could also be a recurring ally.

It should be noted that I will be choosing who those three are, and will be choosing them based on their differences to each other and how compatible I think they will be.

Your character has to be reasonable, with reasonable flaws and secrets and fears.

Dont go thinking you can just have a demon disguise himself and join the Demon Slayers so casually either. (Yushiro, dont give people such dangerous ideas).

Below the blank Character Sheet will be one I filled out for my character. Though some things may or may not be hidden for spoiler reasons.

And now, here is the character sheet:

Name:

Nicknames:

Age:

Gender:

Appearance: (Without clothes)

Height:

Weight:

Distinct Physical Traits:

Hair: (Describe the length, color, style, and such)

Eye Color:

Uniform Design: (A lot of characters have some noticable extra features. Add some to make your character stand out more)

Sleepwear: (Remember, Feudal Japan. But you can still be creative)

History/Personality: (Since all personalities are based on our history, write out the history and explain how they developed their personality while writing it)

Weapon of Choice:

Color of blade(s):

Quirks:

Likes:

Dislikes:

Fears:

Fighting Style Style: (Is it heavy strikes, or fast repetitive strikes? Do they use deception or poison? Let me know!)

Breath Techniques/Blood Demon Art: (List both the type of breathing, like Water Breathing, Thunder Breathing, or Neko Breathing, and techniques for it in a list. You have to make a new line for each technique to keep it organized) (You can have up to ten, mostly because I dont want it to be too overwhelming, and because your character may invent more later. The less you have at the start, the more likely you will get more later. YOu can submit a few to be added later as well if you want) (Blood Demon Art is for Demons only, while Breath Techniques are only for those trained in them by the Demon Slayers)

Distinct Traits: (Do they have a special crow? Do they have an enhanced sense?)

Romantic Desire?:

Story/Arc Ideas:

Quotes:

Theme Song: (Optional)

Hobbies:

Other:

* * *

Name: Yukari Yuu (Family Name, Given Name)

Nicknames: Yu-chan, Yu-kun, Yu-chi, Cat Boy, The Boy with the Cat Collar (mostly by demons), Flower Boy (Because he often smells of Wisteria and loves flowers)

Age: 13, appears younger.

Gender: Male

Appearance: Yuu has a seemingly underdeveloped body, and as a result can be easily mistaken for a girl. His voice is also androgynous. He has silver eyes, a petit frame, and despite being thirteen, has not grown any hair except on his head. However, his small body holds suprisingly more power then one would expect, and people often mistake his strengths and endurance. He is very agile and flexible though. Finally, he has three lines tattooed in ink on each arm, laced with Wisteria, and if held under the right light, it will be revealed that there are even more in a special invisible ink across his entire body. If a Demon ever did eat him, it would almost instantaneously die from Wisteria poisoning.

His skin is also silky smooth and looks beautiful. Sometimes people find it soothing to touch, as weird as that is.

Height: 134cm

Weight: 88lbs

Distinct Physical Traits: His small size, his unusual strength, and the fact that he is extremely agile. His strength is only minorly shocking when one sees how agile he can be.

Hair: He has long, beautiful blue hair.

Eye Color: He has silver eyes.

Uniform Design: Due to his short stature, they actually ended up partially modifying a uniform for him, but sort of went a bit overboard on it. Rather then long pants, he has shorts since it makes it easily for him to run around and be agile, while the upper section is the smallest top they had, and as such the sleeves sometimes cover his hands when he wears the jacket. So often times, he will disreguard the jacket, or even use it as a decoy in combat, while wearing the short sleeved undershirt. He also wears a blue cloak that has cat ears on the hood.

Sleepwear: Typically speaking, he will either wear some comfy loose fitting clothes, or just a loincloth/nothing if it gets too hot.

History/Personality: Yu was born into a very loving and kind family, who traveled a lot trading all sorts of wares to various villages and towns. In fact, they even supplied Demon Slayers from time to time, which is actually why one day, they ended up attacked by demons "in daylight". The reason why it was in daylight was because a tunneling demon collapsed the road they were walking on, causing them to fall into a cavern, and then had to sealed up behind them, leaving them in a dark cave. Not much is known after that, but according to Yu, the last words of his mother before an old Demon Slayer came and saved him was to "Keep on living happily for them". Both of his parents had perished, and Yu was found surrounded by Wisteria, including half eaten Wisteria, explaining on how and why the Demon did not eat him. If it had, it would have died on the spot.

It was after that day that the man told the boy to keep on living for his family, but knowing what he would want and desire, decided to train him to become a Demon Slayer, since he had no where else to go anyways, and the boy had the insight to ingest Wisteria. It was also from that moment that he wore a collar with a bell around his neck, maybe a part of his teachings into Neko Breathing Style, but also apparently the bell was a treasured item his father always carried around. Either way, he was able to move perfectly fine, and even learned how to move to silently and subtly that the bell would not ring or move, reguardless of how he jumped, when he was in stealth mode. Most assume he just uses a special trick to silence it, like stuffing something squishy into it.

However, he seemed to take the words of his mother to heart. Rather then falling into despair or becoming overly aggressive, he ended up being a kind hearted and happy child.

Weapon of Choice: Dual very short blades. They seem to be half as long as a normal blade from first glance, but when he swings, its as if the force carries over and extends its reach sometimes. They are also a lot more durable and dense then normal.

Color of blade(s): Blue

Quirks: He tends to want to get very close to people quickly and build connections, possibly because he still fills a void where his parents should be.

Likes: Fish, Seafood, Protecting people, helping people, doing something good.

Dislikes: Bullies, Demons, Murderous Demons, being underground.

Fears: Losing someone he cares about, the demon who killed his family, suffocating underground.

Fighting Style Style: Yuu uses a lot of deceptive footwork and techniques, not to mention a number of tricks. He also specializes in fast rapid strikes, though he can put quite a bit of power into them as well. However, he mainly specializes in deception, tricks, agility, and speed.

Breath Techniques/Blood Demon Art: He utilizes Neko Breathing Style. As for the moves, they are:

First Claw: Lunging Cat: He quickly pounces forward using expert speed and agility, and with his blades crossed, swings them both outwards at the target. He can also use this to clear a large gap.

Second Claw: Bouncing Cat: He jumps around all over the place and slashes at the target repeatedly, eventually cutting through it, or hitting multiple targets at once. Can also be used for evasion.

Third Claw: Downward Cat: He leaps down and cuts down using the force of gravity with the force of his body and both blades, adding additional power from a spin. He can also use this to land safely on the ground without taking damage.

Fourth Claw: Invisible Cat: By using expert footwork, he seems to disappear from sight, and then strikes the opponent from a blind spot with full force.

Fifth Claw: Shadow Cat: He swings around his blades from a low height, stirring up dust into the opponent's view. When the area lacks that ability, he might also make use of a special flash powder that can harm demons due to Wisteria being in it, disoritenting them as he stealthily moves around its defenses and goes for the attack.

Sixth Claw: Pack of Cat: By pushing his body to its absolute limits, he moves so fast it looks like there are multiples of him, and then he strikes as his opponent is disorentiented. Using this is difficult though, because of the fact of how taxing it could be.

Seventh Claw: (Spoiler Alert)

Distinct Traits: His crow is fairly normal, but he does have an enhanced sense of hearing. He can even use it to pinpoint attacks and detect unseen enemies, which is why he was able to get to the Wisteria in time before the demon ambush.

Romantic Desire?: He currently has none, being very innocent.

Story/Arc Ideas: TBA

Quotes: "Lets all be friends and slay demons together!"

"This collar is special. I will never take it off".

"Wisteria can be very useful you know!"

"Yay! Bath time!"

"Fish is my favorite!"

Theme Song: TBA

Hobbies: He likes to play card games.

Other: While some aspects of him are eeriely cat like, he does actually like water and swimming.


	2. Chapter 2: The Exam

**Chapter 2: The Exam**

"Why does it have to be up so many different flights of stairs" Yukari Yuu muttered as he continued up the stairs. If it had just been a few stories, he wouldn't have been bothered at all. But this was up an entire mountain, and he had to walk all the way here after reaching the last town because the carriage people got afraid or something.

And so, he continued up, the bell on his collar jingling as he made it to the top. There, he saw dozens of other applicants, all steeled and ready. Many of them seemed as old or older then him, well his age anyways. He was small for a boy, and had the appearance of being younger then his actual age.

"Yo, whats up!" another boy called out to him instantly. He turned around, and saw a lightly dressed boy there, wearing just a white haori, a short sleeved shirt, and some shorts along with sturdy boots. Which was strange, because given that he was up in a mountain, he should be freezing. Was he just that tough or durable...but also, the boy looked younger then him, well they were actually about the same size, but he was small for his age.

Also, he had a bit of a mountainy energetic accent.

"Nice to see someone else closer to my age" the boy said as a cool wind blew by. A few people shivered, but a lot more were on edge. In fact, it seemed like this boy was the only one not on edge.

"Ahhh...nice to meet you as well. I am Yukari Yuu".

"Hey, Yuu" he said, not even adding any honoriffics which caught Yuu off guard. "My name is Shizumu. Shizumu Yuki".

"Ahh, hello Shizumu-kun".

"Ahh, just call me Yuki".

"Well okay, Yuki-kun" he said, which caused Yuki to grab his nose in protest.

"I said just Yuki. We are going to be brothers in arms after all, am I right? We have no need, or time, to bother with formalities" he replied, speaking very informally at that. It seemed that he was very casual about stuff like that.

"Sowwy, sowwy" he replied, causing Yuki to finally let go. Yuu could at least sort of see his point. In a battle, formalities and honorifics only took time away from precious breaths and wasted energy.

"Now, I hope they start soon. This is kinda warm for me".

"This is warm for you?!" Yuu retorted as another cold breeze flew by.

"Yeah. I grew up almost always surrounded by snow by my fat...my teacher, so at least to me it feels warm".

_Well...he does sound like he grew up in the mountains...I wonder, did he go and talk to anyone else like this? Should I leave and prepare or something?_

Meanwhile, Yuki took notice of him.

_This guy...his smell totally blends into the smell of the Wisteria trees around here. Is he coated with the stuff? Pretty smart tactic I suppose, Demons avoid it and honestly, it probably acts like some sort of cloak if they have good senses of smell. Still though, this is way too thick to just be some perfume or extract...does he bathe in the stuff or something?_

Yuki had noticed him because he lacked any distinctive smell the others had. Everyone had a smell, but he just blended into the background, which for Yuki who was trying to be observant, made him stand out to him. He was just a bit smaller then him by a few centimeters too...he had to be skilled to come here at his age.

"Welcome everyone..."

"...to the Selection Exam".

And so, the guides for the exam suddenly appeared and began explaining everything, including that they would soon be beginning.

* * *

First Night:

After entering through the path, it was quite obviously designed to be confusing, because soon they had all noticed they were split up, divided, and alone. Yuu had slept during the night, and so now the demons were coming out of the woodwork to fight. All sorts of demons too, but most of them were rather weak to be honest. However...weren't there too many?

"How many are there in here?" Yuu asked, when he cut down another...only to see a large force of Demons...no wait, something was wrong. It was dark, but along with great hearing he had almost near perfect night vision. And he could see some of them were Demons he had already cut down.

"Could it be...undead?!" he said, shocked. As he said that, the other demons started to rise back up.

In terms of Blood Arts, ressurecting the dead, or demon bodies, is probably one of hte weakest, since demons don't group up as a rule. And these demon zombies did not seem that strong. Furthermore, dead demons dissolved into nothing, or at least, they were supposed to...but somehow, they were able to preserve the bodies here and turn them into zombies.

In this situation, such an unexpected turn of events was beyond not good. Most likely, it was brought here with no one able to realize its Blood Demon Art, since anywhere else it would be rather useless.

"Uh oh...time to run!" he realized, as he made a break for it. This whole night, he had been fighting towards the eastern side. This is what he did every night. At sunset, he would start on the western side, and make his way towards the Eastern side, which would get sunlight first.

However, as he took a path, he found it blocked by some of the zombie demons. At the same time, two zombies came charging right at him.

"Snow Breathing Technique Second Form: Avalanche!" a familair voice called out as Yuki dropped down from the sky, and cut through them both.

"Hey, so I managed to meet you as well!" Yuki mentioned as he put his guard up.

"As well?" Yuu asked, when suddenly someone else dropped down as well.

"Second Style: Nocturn Spin!" a girl said as she slashed through another two zombies, jumping from a nearby cliff as well. "I am here to rescue you!"

As she said that, several demon zombies came out of all the various routes around them.

"Looks like we are surrounded" Yuu mentioned to the girl in the oni mask and Yuki.

However, right then and there, she gave both of them a hug, as embarrassing as it was.

"Never fear. I am here for you both".

"Ack...dont go hugging people without even introducing yerself!"

"Please...we are in combat right now!"

She released them, and just smiled, which was when Yuu noticed she had her eyes covered. She is blind?

"My name is Shiryoku Hibiki, user of the Bat Breath Techniques".

They all raised their swords. The sheer amount of zombies were daunting, but they were not that tough either. If they could cut through them and get at the main demon, they could get through this.

"Neko Breathing Technique: Sixth Claw. Pack of Cat!"

Yuu then bolted around the scene, slicing through multiple enemies in his wake. Even though they were just zombies, each one was one that would be taken out of the fight, at least for the time being.

"Snow Breathing Technique Third Form: Snow Angel!"

Yuki was right behind him, cutting through as many as he could as they charged forward.

"Nocturn Breathing Techniques Third Style: Calamity Bite!"

And then, Hibiki released an attack as well and cut through even more.

The techniques released by all of them allowed the combined force to get to the more dangerous demon.

"Do you really think...that you can defeat me?!"

As he said that, several tentacles appeared from his grotesque body and shot towards them. The first one wrapped around Yuu, but that was when he noticed a slight burning feeling.

"Ehh...Wisteria, is it? Unfortunately for you, my body secrets a special liquid that dulls this level of concentration!"

Even though he said that, he couldn't deny that holding him was tough.

"Besides, you should be happy. You would much rather suffer at my hands then that other detestable demon" he added, as more tentacles shot out and headed towards the rest of them. And yet, at that moment, Yuu seemed to pop out of his arm and ran down it. He had faked being trapped to lure him into using his other appendages to attack the others and be unable to defend himself at that distance. Still, the way he popped out...the demon noticed how small and petit his frame was. It let him slide and squish through things a lot easier. But also...

"Nice try, human!"

He went for where Yuu would be next, only...his tentacle missed?

No, Yuu should have been there, but he was actually something else. And then, his head fell right off his body, without understanding what had happened.

"Neko Breathing Technique: Fourth Claw. Invisible Cat" he muttered as he landed on the ground. The Neko Breathing Style revolves around three basic areas. Agility. Balance. Deception. Nearly every technique ends with its user regaining full balance, and being able to stop their own momentum. But they are also trained to use footwork alongside breathing to seemingly disappear. Feet can determine where someone will go, and so unconsciously many people follow them by it. But the Neko Style of swordsmanship lets one move and use footwork in unnatural ways, resulting in "disappearing" from one's sight. One does not actually accelerate to a speed where they seemed to disappear, nor do they actually turn invisible though. Its a perception trick, but perception is one of the key elements to winning a battle.

"That was amazing!"

"How did you do that?"

Not only did Yuki miss it, but even Hibiki had trouble keeping track of him. She had enhanced hearing just like Yuu, but he even disappeared to her for a moment. That was because she could listen to the sounds of people's feet as they hit the ground, but he had moved in such an irregular way, shifting his body weight as he stepped forward, the place she expected him to step next was not where he stepped, which caught her off guard.

"Nicely done, you three" another voice mentioned. The group looked up, and saw an older boy there along with an older girl. "My name is Kazuyuki Fuyuto, and this is Reisha Megari. What are your names?"

"Fuyuyo-niisan" Yuki called out.

"Ahh, if it isn't Yuki-kun...and, two girls?"

"What are you talking about? Yuu is a boy".

"Yeah. Yuu is a boy".

"Eh? Really? Thats weird...his color is so pink though...hmm?"

"Hold on" Megari mentioned. "Are you sure? It looks like a girl?"

"Yeah. I can tell from his scent, he is definently a guy".

At that remark, Yuu looked in shock.

"ANd his voice, although a bit hard, is indeed a boy's" Hibiti added.

At that moment, he got an even bigger shock.

_...does that mean that those two only thought I was a boy because of things aside from my appearance...I do look like a boy!_

While Yuu cried a bit internally at the mental damage he took, but he pulled himself together since he remembered that they needed to keep a watch out for new enemies.

"So wait, you know this guy Yuki-kun?"

"Yea, he is from a different branch of the Snow Breathing Techniques, so I only met him a few times when our masters came to talk to each other...well, it was more like glarin at each other".

"Well, yeah. Though, my teacher wasn't a total sadist when it came to training".

"What does that mean?"

"Well, Yuki's teacher made him train completely naked in the bitter snow".

The rest of them looked at Yuki with eyes of surprise and sympathy.

"It was kinda brutal at first, but I got used to it".

"...no wonder he is dressed so lightly..."

"...that sounds brutal..."

"Isn't that how you get frostbite?"

"Well, thanks to my training, I developed some really thick skin and sturdy muscle mass as a result!"

"Wait, those lanky arms?"

"Well, since I started while I was young, they didn't really develop outward, ya know?"

"Right...well, does everyone want to stay in a group then so we can kill demon's faster?" Yuu asked.

"Hmm, as interesting as that might be, it would be tough. You see, although I know people have passed by grouping up and sticking together, five people might actually cause the demons to team up as some weird exception and adaptation to that strategy".

With those words, the two groups departed. But then, Hibiki realized something.

"Ahh! I never introduced myself".

"Ahh..."

"Oops".

"Well, we should probably go and head east ourselves".

"Yep!"

And so, the first night ended with a fairly decent survival rate.

* * *

Heyo everyone! I love all the support and interest I am seeing in this! So please feel free to leave some reviews if you want! If you have any questions, ill be happy to address them next chapter as well! As a side note, jsut because you have not seen your character introduced yet does not mean he or she was not accepted! However, I can only introduce so many characters at once. Anyways, I hope you enjoy, and stay tuned!


	3. Chapter 3: The Exam Concludes

**Chapter 3: The Exam Concludes**

"Down!" Yuki yelled as his sword cut right above Yuu's head, as he had ducked down, and cut through the demon's neck. This slew it instantly, while Yuu burst forward like a cat and cut down another.

Even though Hibiki could not see, she could hear them well and was good at echolocation. And she could hear in their movements the sort of synergy they seemed to have right now. Yuu's style was deceptive and mischevous, despite his honest and innocent personality. While Yuki was the more mischevous sort, but his style was honest and straightforward. They seemed to understand each other well, and then understood what they would do. Hibiki herself could also do that, and the three had a good synergy, but it was truly impressive how fast they had managed to work with each other. It seemed they were quite compatible.

"That looks like that is all of them, and the sun is going to rise soon" Yuu mentioned, looking over at the east.

"We are running into a lot less people now".

"Yeah...and a lot more demons".

"Still...it seems like we have not faced anything too difficult yet" Yuki added, as the sun basked them in warmth.

However, Yuu could only sigh at that comment. Yuu's strength was what was weird. He was strong, quick, and powerful. He was not perfect, but...well, he went through some pretty brutal training from what they learned.

"By the way...iv been wondering for awhile, but what is with the cat collar?"

At that question, Yuu instinctively put his hand over it, as if hiding it from view.

"Well, its just...a personal thing".

"Ehhh..." Yuki said, coming in closer. "It really smells of Wisteria".

"Yeah, iv dosed it with a heavy amount. If a demon was to ever try to grab my throat, it would likely burn its arm pretty quickly".

"Its not just that though, your whole body smells of Wisteria".

"You can tell? Most people can't".

"I have a very good nose. Its true that its a mixture that does not release much of a smell, but I can pick it up. Demons probably cant though".

"Speaking of smells...its been over a week now since I had a good proper bath".

"Well it cant be helped. We have been focused on fighting demons, and then resting up and moving from east to west all day".

"Yeah, but I cant help but think that maybe its the reason the Demons are finding us easier".

"Well then" Hibiki mentioned, grabbing both of their arms. "Lets go take a bath then".

"Eh?"

"Huh?"

"Hold on, but you are a girl!"

"We can bathe ourselves!"

"Nonesense. Just let me handle it" she said, as she dragged them off towards the river.

* * *

"I cant believe she actually did that" Yuu said, blushing as he sat naked in the river alongside Yuki, with Hibiki washing their backs while also naked. The two boys were a bit confused and embarrassed, but...

"Oh relax, we are fellow Demon Slayers so its fine right? Besides, I am blind, so I cant see you anyways" Hibiki said, although deep down there was another reason. Or reasons, rather. Although she was certainly meshing well with the group, maybe it was because she was analyzing the situation actively, but she felt like she had not done enough. No, that was a common feeling for her. She was always very strict, especially with herself, and as the oldest one of the group, plus the fact she actually liked kids and how sweet and innocent they could be, meant that she believed she had to be the one to take care of these two. Even if it led to embarrassing situations like this for them, she believed this was important.

"You could have at least let us take our own clothes off" Yuki said, a little less bothered but still a bit embarrassed by this. Notably despite this, Yuu had insisted on keeping on his cat collar, stating personal reasons. It seemed he wore it even when he bathed.

"Oh just shush. This is how we are doing this, no exceptions" she said, as she started to wash their lower bodies next. The two got red faced again as she started, and so they wanted to change the topic to distract them at least.

"By the way...do you think that guy will finally attack us?" Yuki asked, looking off into the woods. Nothing was there right now, but they knew what he meant.

For the last two nights, they had been wary and aware of a Demon at the very edge of their detection radius. Watching them, but unlike the other Demons, never attacked them. Just watching, and waiting. Yuu even got a glimpse of its eyes once, and it freaked him out.

"Those eyes...whatever that Demon is, its seriously messed up" Yuu mentioned as Hibiki finished their right legs, using one hand for each of them.

"You sure?"

"I am not sure why, but the eyes just seemed...depraved. Plus, its been messing with us this whole time I think. I am pretty sure it knows our range when it comes to sensing Demons, and is choosing to tease it at that range to mess with our heads, or something like that".

"So then, its probably going to attack us tonight...maybe?"

"I have no clue. That is what is bugging me, its just been anno...hiiyah!" Yuu squeeled when Hibiki washed a sensitive area, making him blush a lot. "Hibiki-neechan, please don't do that!"

"...neechan?" Hibiki questioned, coming to her senses a little. "Yeah, im good with that".

"Hey...now that I look at you, are you okay?" Yuki asked.

Hibiki just nodded, determined, but then as she took a step, the wet and slipery ground of the stream combined with the water itself threw her off and she ended up falling right on top of Yuu and Yuki, which caused those two to get really embarrassed while Hibiki just panicked in general for a moment. Given that she was not always the easiest to read, and could be rather strict, to see her flustered all of a sudden made all sorts of weird things happen, all accidental. At some points clinging to each other, at some points holding onto each other, and a lot of blushing later, and they finally got themselves back up and decided to dry off now.

It was only a stream, so even with Yuki and Yuu sitting down, their knees and upper torsos were plainly visible, indicating how shallow it was. So the fact that Hibiki worried about drowning seemed weird.

_I wonder...she is pretty strict, but could she be especially strict with herself or something? By any chance...does she not know how to swim?_

Yuki thought those things as they finished drying off. Before they started to get dressed though, Yuu took out a weird lotion like thing.

"What is that?"

"Wisteria Lotion. Hey, you want to put it on each other? It helps keep the Demons from noticing you as much, and helps protect you from their attacks".

"Well, I already got wiped down by a girl. Dont see any harm in a fellow guy helping me out, especially if its practical".

Hibiki just watched (figure of speech in this case) expressionless, though deep down...

_They really are so cute and innocent...I will protect them. I will make sure they make it out of here alive. I wont let anything bad happen!_

* * *

And so, night returned once more. The three of them were searching around, looking for any sign of attack. However, unlike the other nights, the Demon Attacks were less frequent.

"You think its just because we killed a lot of them, or that they were actually tracking us by our smell".

"Not sure...more importantly, do you sense it?"

"Yeah...that guy is right there. Far enough away for him to disappear before we make it to him, close enough to be a threat if we don't watch him. I cant see him, but I can smell him".

"I can hear him too..." Hibiki mentioned. "He is making that annoying gnashing noise too, and licking his lips".

"Uhg...I can also hear it" Yuu mentioned. "Just like last night".

Yes, this Demon was watching, waiting. Looking for any openings.

_Wait...this sound underneath is..._

...or that was what they thought, when tentacles burst out of the ground from under them.

_Was that...a diversion?!_

Yuki and Yuu got snared up and tangled before they even had a chance, but Hibiki managed to jump back in time. It was only a second of notice, but because she used echo-location, she noticed there was something underneath them earlier, and was able to dodge it just in time.

"Hello their humans" a voice spoke from one of the tentacles. "Its sooooooo nice to be able to play with you".

Its voice was weird. Not just demonic, but it was also giving them the serious creeps.

Hibiki realized it almost instantly.

_This demon...is a pervert?!_

Suddenly, the tentacles began to not only ensnare Yuki and Yuu, but even began to take off their clothes and take away their weapons, stripping them bare.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"Isn't it obvious? Im enjoying my meal" it said with a twisted and creepy voice. "After all, I found that once I take away all of this nasty armor, clothing, weapons, that humans become a lot more passive...and that lets me take a good, long time enjoying my meal".

As he said that, Yuki and Yuu were totally restrained as it removed everything and tossed it all aside. And then, using its surplus of tentacles, it made Yuki and Yuu kiss.

Hibiki seriously wanted to kill this thing, but there was an issue. The tentacles were not its main body, its main body was far away. Furthermore, Yuki and Yuu were placed in the middle of that path, being made to do a lot of embarrassing things, but also the tentacles tightened and tightened, hurting them.

And the Demon had the high ground. That made it difficult for her to quickly run up and attack it. And if she tried, it seemed he was ready to pull those two limb from limb. This thing was more clever then the others.

"Now now, I might get careless if you attack me all of a sudden" the demon said, as its tentacles slithered across Yuki and Yuu, making them feel uncomfortable. If it was all connected to one tentacle, Hibiki could free them easily. But it was dozens of them, so even if she cut down one, he could instantly kill them. They had focused so much on his main body...

However, Hibiki also knew she could not do anything. After all, this Demon would kill them either way. She just needed an opening, a chance to save them. She had to do it, she knew she had to. Failure was not an option. But then, she heard something...an opening, and prepared herself. The crunching, the fall, the sounds of its breathing. This demon had a weakness, just like they did.

Hibiki undid a bit of her clothing and let it drop, which drew the Demon's interest. And in that moment, taking advantage of its perverted nature, she went with her fastest strike. She had to keep up. She had to do this much.

"Bat Breathing Technique First Style: Hanged Winged Slice!"

"Foolish girl! You are not...eh!"

"Snow Breathing Technique Sixth Style: Diamond Dust!"

And yet, another Demon Slayer suddenly appeared from the side and went at the Demon. But it was not Yuki, but rather the other user of a different branch of Snow Breathing Techniques, Kazuyuki Fuyuto. He sent down a series of small, yet quick and relentless slashes at his enemy, cutting off several tentacles at the source and nearly getting his head, but he sacrificed some more to stop him. Nearly all of the tentacles holding Yuu dissolved, as well as all the ones holding Yuki.

However, the tentacles almost immediately renegerated, which surprised both of them and ensnared Hibiki and Fuyuto. Yuki was able to dodge this time, and even grabbed his blade.

_These tentacles...they are not normal. Both me and Yuu are covered in Wisteria, yet it wasn't bothered in the slightest. Does that mean that the tentacles are not actually connected to the Demon?_

Yuki had managed to close the distance in that time, but the demon just giggled at him.

"You think you can beat me, boy? When you are totally naked and even lack any body hair?"

That was when he noticed Yuu's collar as well.

"Ehhhh...I forgot to remove this as well".

The Demon taunted Yuki who was still some distance away, and then drew attention towards Yuu, but that might have been his biggest mistake, as Yuki was suddenly right in front of him.

_So fast...wait, it cant be...he is faster and lighter because he is naked?!_

ANd in that instant, Yuki unleashed his technique.

"Snow Breathing Technique: Fifth Style. Frostsweep!"

And the demon was beheaded in an instant. Fuyuto could only muse at what the demon could not have predicted.

_A majority of Yuki's training was done with him standing outside naked in the snow. So naturally, in combat it wont bother him as much, and he can go even faster. The demon here was just up against a bad opponent._

As the tentacles dissipated though, both of them looked at the two boys, who then suddenly got embarrased a little.

"Please step away for a bit!"

"Oh nonesense! We dont have time for this, I will help".

Hibiki said that, though in truth she wanted to help for another reason as well. SHe wanted to defeat the Demon and save them on her own, but she couldn't. She felt so useless right there, that she had to do something to make herself feel useful.

And so, the final battle of the Final Selection came to a close. Once everyone was properly dressed and equipped, and the sun rose, they descended down the mountain.

This year's final selection actually produced a decently good number, as the total survivors were eight in total. The two twin girls then came back, and explained what would happen next. They would each choose an ore, and that ore would be used for their blade. It was rather mysterious and unknown why it was like this, but that is how it was.

And then, everyone got their crows. Everything seemed ordinary, although Yuu felt like his crow was judging him.

The two stared at each other, and then...

"...shota!"

Yuu was dealt sudden and immediate psychological damage at the crow's words.

"...that crow looks kinda tough and harsh".

"...it does..."

"Ouch".

Then, it looked at Yuki.

"Shota two!"

"What did you say!?"

And then, it looked at Hibiki. However, it just sighed and said nothing, looking away from her.

"What?! At least say something!"

"Well, that was kind of harsh..."

Fuyuto said that, and then the crow looked at him.

"Contradiction coward!"

And at that point, Fuyuto started to walk away slowly with his crow(?), pretending nothing had happened. Actually, for some reason it was a magpie with blue and white wings, but that was not the point.

"Oh..."

"...its that crow".

"That crow?" Yuu said through his weeping while Yuki chased around the crow with his sword out.

"Yes, that Crow belonged to the former Pillar of Judgement in the Demon Slayers before he retired".

_That is one really old crow..._

"ANd like its owner, it tends to judge people harshly since they believed that would be the most beneficial to people".

"Indeed, his punishments were known to be legendary. He once made an entire group of underperforming Demon Slayers go a week without food or water aside from the insects they could scavenge in a forest".

"He once actually spanked the bare behind of a young Demon Slayer in public for badmouthing a girl and throwing a drink at her".

"From time to time, he still gets called upon to judge Demon Slayers. OF course, he does operate within reason. None of his punishments are lethal..."

_Probably..._

"...but he became quite famous for them".

"Either way, return to your masters, and await the swords to be completed".

"And please, good luck".

With that, the group began to disperse.

"Well, I guess this is goodbye".

"Naah, I am sure we will see each other on missions later or something like that".

"You two are just full of optimism, huh?"

"Just make sure none of you die easily after I saved you all".

"Haha, don't worry about Fuyu-niichan. He is actually a very kind and warmhearted person".

And so, the group set off back home.

* * *

Drip drip drop.

Tick tick tock.

Wooooooosh.

Three demons entered the same house, immediately catching sight of each other and growling. If it wasn't for the fact they couldn't really inflict mortal blows, the three would have likely gone at each other's throats instantly.

"Now now you all" a young boy called out as he walked down the stairs from the second floor, stopping halfway and then sitting on them. "Behave nicely".

The boy appeared to be human, but the three demons were totally subservient to him. He had jet black hair, and different colored eyes. One was red, and one was purple. His dress was a simple sleeveless robe that covered his body to the knees.

One demon, who seemed to be soaking wet and had gills, was blue in color.

The second demon has clocks across his body, and appeared like a thin but tall man.

And finally, there was the demon who seemed to be floating, she was riding a cloud for that matter and seemed totally captivated by the master. Well, they were all captivated, but she was a bit different. The boy meanwhile could not have been older then nine years old.

"Any word on my twin brother?"

"I am afraid not, Master" the wet demon mentioned. "I have searched along every coast and every river, and have not found trace of him".

"Neither have I" the clock demon replied. "I searched throughout the cities, including their past and present, but he has kept himself hidden well".

"And I have also failed" the wind demon told him, regretfully. "I soared through the skies and scoured all the lands below, and yet I could not find him".

"I see...well, if three of my best could not find him, I guess it cannot be helped" the boy said. "I wont punish you this time for your failure. Besides, there is some new fun to be had. The Demon Slayers recently had their Final Selection. I want you to go and pick off some of the rookies before they can bloom" the boy told them. "Ah, but leave one or two alive by 'luck' and make sure to blame Muzan for this. He will make a good scapegoat for us".

"Then, your twin brother?"

"Haru will eventually show himself. He is good at hiding, but not at staying hidden. For now, lets focus on our other enemy. And who knows...if you do really well, maybe your rank will raise...as well as your reward".

Those words both pleased and invigorated them.

"Understood, Hanako Aki-sama!"

As the three demons suddenly departed, Aki had a playful but evil smile on his face.

"Now, I wonder if these newbies will be able to interest me".

* * *

And now, for some trivia! Why? Because I thought it would be interesting!

1: I originally considered making the final demon for the Final Selection to have telekinetic powers, but decided to save that Blood Demon Art for something not in the final selection. Since it might be too powerful. So we got pervy tentacle demon instead.

2: In Japanese, Haru means Spring, while Aki means Fall (Autumn).

3: Thanks to various loyal submissions for not only giving me a fun cast to work with, but also for providing some interesting Antagonists.

4: Yuu never takes off the collar, even when he bathes. Rumor has it is because of psychological trauma from his parent's deaths.

5: In terms of locating enemies, Hibiki is superior to that then Yuu. But Yuu is better at identifying sounds to objects in exchange.

Anyways, hope you keep enjoying!


	4. Chapter 4: First Assignment

**Chapter 4: First Assignment**

"Excuse me, Masters?" Yuu said as he came in. It seemed silent and calm, but Yuu was still on alert.

"Ooooh, Yuu-chan!" a woman's voice said, her voice full of vigor and energy, as she suddenly scooped Yuu up and gave him a hug. However, her unrealistically sized breaths were pretty much smothering him instead.

Along with that, a smaller man came in. Of course, for some reason, he had a pair of cat ears on his head. Were they fake? Were they real? Yuu never did find out.

"Hey now, Tataba. Don't smother the boy to death".

"Ehhhhh? But this will help him train to hold his breath underwater for extended periods of time".

"He already got that training!"

And so, nostalgic feelings about Yuu's training life would have come forward, if it was not for the fact he was fighting for his life right then and there.

The Neko Breathing Style. Its a style that can only be used by a select group of people. It requires physical features that actually might eliminate a good amount of Demon Slayers. After all, to master it, you either had to be a petit boy, or an agile and dexterous girl. And by petit, basically you have to be really short. Yuu and Master Asona fit this description, while Master Tataba represented the female ideal basically. Despite what one might think, she was extrodinarily well balanced. And also extremely agile.

"Come on now..."

"Tataba, your size is double X rated" he finally brought up, causing her to sigh and put Yuu down.

"You didn't have to phrase it like that".

"Well, they nearly killed Yuu, so I would think its appropriate".

"Fuuuu...your not fun".

Either way, the two of them took Yuu to the back, where he changed out of his traveling clothes and into something clean and fresh. As he got off his shirt though, Asona got curious.

"Anyways, glad to see you survived Yuu. Not like I had any doubts".

"Thanks. I made some friends too!"

"Ehhh? Sounds nice".

"Thanks! Anyways, they said they would deliver my sword here! I also got this super cool uniform, and other things!"

"Good good. By the way...did you have to use that?"

Yuu stepped back a bit as his teacher emitted some pressure, his bare back and shoulders hitting the wall behind him.

"Of-of course not! Just like I promised, I did not use Seventh Claw, or any of hte secret techniques I swear! I didn't use anything like that!"

"Good, good. Demons are tough and tricky, so you should always hold something in reserve when fighting them. You have to be just as tricky as they are".

"Yes!"

"Now, lets see the power of your Seventh Claw in the back".

"Ye...wait what?!"

"I want you to use it against me".

"Ehhhh?!"

"Oh, and make sure you dont die if you fail".

"EHHHHHHH?!"

And so, while waiting for his sword to arrive, Yuu endured many hardships and trained even further.

And when it finally did arrive...it turned into a light blue color, and his crow spoke up.

"Attention! Attention! A demon is plagueing the streets south of here! A demon is plagueing the streets to a village south of here! Hurry! Hurry!"

"Boyo, sounds like you are up".

"Yes!"

And so, Yuu set off.

* * *

"Well?" Aki asked, as he watched a sunset from the rooftop of the tallest building, eating an apple. He was dressed in a colorful kimono, with a katana at his side, and was barefoot, with some boots lain out at his side. "How is it going?"

_The sun is setting soon, Master. Shall we begin the rookie hunting?_

"Now now, hold on a second" he said, as he moved his arm so that the end of his sleeve was pointed at himself, away from the sun. "Kabuko?"

At that point, an eye appeared inside his sleeve, and protected several displays in front of him. Some included images of Yuu, Yuki, and Hibiki all walking towards seperate destinations, while in sunlight.

"Maan, your Blood Demon Art really is useful Kabuko. They are only capable of survielance, but in exchange, your watchers dont burn in the sun at all. I am very pleased that your evolution was so useful".

"It is all thanks to Master, who allows my evolution to be possible!"

"Yes yes" he said, as he cut a vein open with a small cut using a knife he had with him, and allowing Kabuko to taste the blood. Kabuko seemed to get very motivated from that. "You may not have much combat capabilities, but your ability to track and monitor people makes you exceptional! So evolve even more!"

"Yes, I understand Master! Thank you for the food!"

"Well now, I wonder who we will see get the first kill. One of Mu-kun's demons, or one of mine. Do your best, everyone" Aki said, with a wicked smile that should not be on a young boy's face.

* * *

"Hmmmm...first demon, first demon. Alright, I can do this!" Yuu said, pumping himself up as he made it into town. That said...

His morale dropped a bit when his nose smelt something horrid.

"Uhg...what is with this smell...its like someone went to the bathroom on a garbage heap, and then left it out in the sun" Yuu said, not being able to hold back as his nose was assaulted by a terrible oder.

"Ehhhh..." he said, as he looked around. However, he couldn't see anyone else out at night. "Well, I guess if a Demon has been hunting here, people have disappeared, so they are being cautious. Still, I would have thought to have seen some town guard at least".

As he walked further in, the smell got more putrid, but also weirdly soothing, like a sickly sweet thing perhaps.

"...something isn't right here" he mentioned, as he drew his blade and jumped up, landing on the rooftops and running across. Almost immediately, he saw a boy who was at least a few years older then him collapsed on the ground. As well as some weird sludge thing heading for it.

"Neko Breathing Style Third Claw: Downward Cat!"

ANd leaping down, he severed it completely.

And that was when he saw other people unconscious too, all laying around, while some sort of sludge demon appeared in front of him. And by slude, Yuu meant that its entire body appeared to be sludge and liquid.

"Hehehe...another fool comes to stop me. You should just be happy I am being so considerate...going after these Yakuza".

"Yakuza?" Yuu said confused, but he shook it off. It was a demon. Demons lied. Demons decieved. Demons tricked.

Which was why one of the primary principals of the Cat Breathing Style was to decieve them right back.

"Ohhh, so your saying your a Hero of Justice?"

"Exac..." it started, when it launched a surprise attack. No, it was about to, but Yuu had seen through it, and was already at his neck.

_Fast! And silent! I didn't hear any footsteps!_

He immediately decided to use his trick, and pull his head into his body. This made it impossible for Yuu to hit, but as a result, Yuu cut off its right arm.

However, he should have been faster. His movements felt sluggish and slower. That demon gave him a big opening, but his body is not moving normally.

"That was faster then expected...im not sure why you are so resistant to my Sleeping Stench, but the closer you get, the stronger it is. You must be quite the Demon Slayer...to think I would find such a delectable rookie!"

It then launched a sludge bomb right at him. Yuu dodged, but suddenly it regrew its arm and grabbed him, getting that stink all over him. He could feel it, he really wanted to fall asleep. A deep, pleasant slumber, despite how putrid it was.

"Yesss, boyo...fall deep into a sleep, and serve to be my next delicous meal!"

However...

"What the...aahhhhhhhg!" the demon screamed, as it felt a burning poisonous sensation spread throughout his body. "Im...possible...ahhhhhhhg!"

He screamed as he dropped Yuu, who staggered a bit, but then ran forward. This demon seemed troublesome. its body was not entirely solid, and it was so putrid and filthy and terrible. And now Yuu was covered in it, which made him really drowsy.

Was this a blood demon art? Or did he just want to pass out from the putrid oder?

Either way, he had to finish it fast. Seventh Claw...not ideal in this situation, so then...

"Right, here we go...Neko Breathing Style: Fifth Claw: Shadow Cat!"

At that point, as he swung forward, a huge cloud of dust was released.

"Ehhh...what is..." he started to say, when suddenly several explosions detonated around his body. If it was solid, it might have survived more, but a lot of his body went splat and splattered around as the blade went for the concealed head.

"Taaake this!"

And so, Yuu cut right through it, defeating it. It was a close fight, though mostly because he felt like he was about to pass out. However, as the demon dissolved, so did the drowsiness.

"Looks like it was a part of some Blood Demon Ar...ewwww".

He then looked around.

"I need to find a bathhouse, fast".

* * *

"Young Master" Kabuko mentioned. "I am confirming that Sledge has indeed been defeated".

"Ehhh? Well, he was pretty weak, but I didn't expect him to be taken down that quic...kly..."

"Young Master?"

"...sorry, thinking about Sledge irritated my nose. I suppose that is why I could never really feed him much and bring him into the Inner Circle".

"He was indeed incredibly putrid".

"Yeah...thinking about him makes me feel icky too. So..." Aki said, standing up. "I think I will go take a bath".

"I see...wait, what are you..."

That was when Kabuko noticed the look on his face.

* * *

"Ahhh, I am so glad she agreed" Yuu said, as he walked into the bathing area wearing nothing but his collar and carrying a towel at his side. "And to think, I get a bath all to my...self..."

That was when Yuu looked and saw another boy washing off before getting in the open air bath that was in town.

"Ahh, don't mind me. Im not sure why, but I woke up covered in a putrid ooze stuff, so I needed a bath".

The boy around Yuu's appearance age mentioned with a smile.

"My name is Hanako Aki! Traveling trader of information...Demon Slayer, right?"

"Ehh? Wait, you know who I am?"

"The profession. Come on, you kinda smell too, so you should have a bath as well. We can wash each other's backs!"

"Un...alright..."

And so, the two boys began to rinse off, pouring water over themselves and then they washed themselves and each other, as was custom before entering the bath. Once they did though, they sighed as they deeply enjoyed it, leaving their towels by the edge.

""This is soooo good"" the two boys said, sighing with happiness. Only their shoulders and heads were above water, although the water was fairly clear, even in the night sky, a sign of clean water. However, there were some things in it...herbs to help with recovery maybe? A herbal bath?

"So, uhh..." Yuu said, a bit shy and embarrassed at this person knowing so much, although maybe it was just his usual personality. "How did...you know so much?"

At that point, a light gleamed in Aki's eyes, as he grabbed Yuu's hands and raised them up, kneeling in the water as he faced him. "Its these callouses. I can tell, iv seen them before. They are from swinging a Nichirin blade. I suppose you could be a Samurai's apprentice too, but..."

And then Aki moved in further, placing his ear right on Yuu's chest.

"The way you breath...the Breathing techniques of a Demon Slayer often change how they take breaths, meaning its possible to identify a Demon Slayer just be their normal breathing".

"Ummm, umm...your a bit..."

And then, Aki slunk around from behind, and started grabbing even more, all over Yuu's body, making his face turn red.

"And then there is this muscle development. Evened out, with certain focus points. Legs, for running, jumping, climbing. Arms for climbing as well, but in certain ways for swinging swords. And then there is your butt. Clearly you have fallen down dozens of hundreds of times, culminating in this postierer..."

It was getting really weird and embarrassing now. Aki was practically climbing all over him. He also went around the waist, and pointed out details with his joints, before moving upward to his arms and upper chest, and then going higher...Yuu finally broke free, moving his arms and getting free from his grasp, and backing away a little.

"Ahh, sorry" Aki said with a genuine smile. "Its just, I can get really into my hobbies sometimes".

"Your hobby is groping people?!"

"Ah, no no...its analysis. I love to analyse things, ferret out secrets, things like that. Almost as much as my family. Anyways, I regularly sell information to Demon Slayers, especially about the movements of Kitsubushi Muzan, so please feel free to pay for it when you see me! I get around a lot, so we will probably meet a lot!"

"Ah...right...also, sorry for pushing you".

"Its no problem".

"Alright then, lets just enjoy a peaceful soak. Or if you want, you could go and do what I just did to me if it makes you feel better".

"I am good! Lets just bathe peacefully!"

* * *

Eventually, Yuu was the first one to leave, letting Aki to be alone once more. A black flying eyeball with wings descended and landed on his head.

"Room sealed?"

"Kurokage is using his power to seal it, so we can talk freely. Are you sure its needed though?"

"That boy has some pretty accute hearing. He countered me brilliantly when he couldn't even see my hands, somehow understanding where they were going".

"Countered? All I saw was you messing with him, Young Master".

"Well, it was true that I was having a bit of fun with him" Hanako Aki mentioned as he laid back casually. "But, this was also a very important information gathering mission".

"Information gathering?"

"This room was semi sealed when he entered, so he had no way of hearing or smelling I was here right? He didn't have his towel around his waist for that reason, and yet...he was still wearing that Cat Collar".

"Is that important, Young Master?"

"Very. Why do you think he wears that thing?"

"Maybe its important to him...or, its a memento of something?"

"Wrong" Aki mentioned. "If it was either of those, he would never risk it in battle. Furthermore, if he was just using it to hide something, he would not have worn it in an empty bath".

"Wait, what are you getting at?"

"Well, believe it or not, my examination was also to determine that. And, I am pretty sure...that boy is either afflicted by something, or outright cursed".

"A curse? Really?"

Aki leaned forward, resting his head on his arms which he folded across the ground.

"In other words...that Collar is a Seal" he said, as demonic fire appeared on parts of his body, producing a wolf tail and wolf ears on his head. "And it was only when I went to take it off did he seriously fight back. Which only makes me want to know...want to confirm even more...what is sealed away. He should be a fun new toy for me to play with...the secret of his body, how interesting".

Meanwhile, Kabuko began to relay a message with the others of the Inner Circle.

"Attention. The young master has taken an interest in something again. As the head of our family, we must support him, whatever it takes, and make him happier and more pleased".

And so, the Hanako Demon Faction began to mobilize.

* * *

Hibiki meanwhile was searching for her own demon, to slay on her first mission. She had no intention of backing down from such an important task, although she was happy that her crow was kind enough to help lead her all the way there using its voice and wings. Though, she did wonder how the crow spoke in the first place...

But now, she was in town, and searching for the demon. She was determined to succeed. And yet...

Drip drip drop.

"Welcome to my fun little game, Rookie-chan" a Demon said, from all directions around her.

"Its time to play".

* * *

The villains are moving, and so are the heroes! What is Aki up to? What will Hibiki do? Where are the others when you need them? And why is Yuu wearing that collar really?! So many questions, so I guess you will have to keep reading to find out! But there is a lot more action on the horizon!


End file.
